Thomas h



` T. H. KNOLLIN'. Key-Pedal for Piano-Portes.

N0.'225,289.` Patented Mar.9,18so.

FIG..

N. PETERS, PHOTO-UTHGGRAPNER. WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. KNOLLIN, OF SYBAOUSE, NEV YORK.

KEY-PEDAL FOR PIANO-FORTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,289, dated March 9, 1880.

Application filed November 17, 1875).

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS H. KNoLLTN, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attaehin Church-Organ Pedals to a Piano, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a novel applica tion of church-organ pedals to the keys of a piano, designed more especially for practice of the use of such pedals.

The following will enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a piano provided with my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section of same 5 and Fig. 3 is a side view of the pedal-frame and roller-board detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

P represents a piano of any ordinary style and construction, and having the keys A A pivoted in the usual manner. B B denote pedals similar to those used on a church-organ, and pivoted at their rear end in the usual frame, C, surrounding the pedals. The forward end of the trame O is provided with standards D, which embrace the outer side of the side rails, E, of the so-called roller-board F, and are detachably connected therewith by pins a and a' passing through the same.

The roller-board Iplace in front of the lyre, which carries the pedals of the piano, andarrange it with its top inclined toward the front of the piano, thereby allowing the bottom portion of the roller-board and the pedals to be placed farther under the piano and brought nearer into the saine relative position as those of a church-organ. The roller-hoard is Adetachably connected to the piano by pins e e passing through pendent plates or arms G on the under side of the piano-case, and through the upper extremity of the side rails of the roller-board.

By the described peculiar connection of the roller-board with the pedal-frame C and the piano the pedal-frame can be removed without disturbing the roller-board7 or, when desired, both can be removed bodily 5 and by removing one of the lower connecting-pins, a', and using` the other as a pivot, the roller-board can be laid down upon the pedal-frame, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and thus the apparatus folded intoa conipact and convenient compass for storing or transportation.A

r r are the rollers pivote-d horizontally on the roller-board F, and provided, respectively, with arms .s and s', through one of which passes the end of a pendent rod, u, having adjustingnuts u and interposed washers or cushions u1 at opposite sides of said arm. The lower end ofthe rod a passes through a horizontal plate, Z1, connected to thelower end of the side rails, E, ofthe roller-board. Below the plate b the rod a is provided with two collars or shoulders, d and d', a suflicient distance apart to admit between them the end of the pedal B, which bears 011 the lower collar, d. This collar is connected with the plate b by a rubber band, f, hooked onto pins on the said collar and plate, respectively. By means of the band f the rod u is yieldingly forced upward, and limited in this movement by the collision ot' the Lipper collar, d', with the under side of the plate b.

To the arm s is connected a rod, o, which is extended upward through a guide-bar, l, attached to the roller-board, and terminated with a right-angled bend or hook, o, near the under side of the piano-ease. The hook 0 engages the eye of a link or rod, t, which passes through the bottom of the piano-case, and is at its upper end hooked into a staple, t', pendent from the forward end of the key A, as best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The intermediate link, t, however, may be dispensed with, and the staple t extended through the piano-case bottom, and provided at its lower extremity with an eye for the reception of the hook 0.

The described form of the hook o allows the same to readily enter and withdraw from its connection with the staple or link t automatically with the attachment and removal ofthe roller-board. c

H represents the so-called pedal-check,77 designed to support the pedals, and prevent their action on the keys when the use of the former IOO fired. This pedal-check consists ot it-angled triangular bar arranged trans- "sely underneath the pedals, and hinged at its right angle to the bottom ot the cross-piece I ofthe pedal-frame, and having a space, 7c, between their adiaeent sides. To the under side ofthe respective pedals is attached a pin or lug, (y, directly over the space 7;, and of a size to enable it to enter the same. The pedaleheck is provided with an upward-piojecting arm or lever, 7L, by means 0i" which it can be tilted, so as to cause its top edge to bear against the cross-piece I, and thus close the space 7;. Then weight is then applied to the pedals their action is arrested by the lug g coming in contact with the top edge of the pedal-check. rBhe pressure comingl outside ot' the hingc-joint ot' same tends to retain it in its tilted position.

It will be observed that by the described peculiar construction and arrangement ofthe pedal-check hinged to the bottoni of the pedat frame, with the space L at its side and the support otl the pedals directly over the said space, the extra extension in the height of the pedal-frame and the corresponding eleva-tion of the piano are obviated.

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. rlhe roller-board F, arranged in front of the lyre L, and with its top inclined toward the front oi' the piano, substantiallyv in the manner described and shown.

2. The combination of the pedal-frame C, having` standards D, the roller-board F, connected thereto by the removable pivoted pin t and pin ct, and to the plates Gr by the removable pins e c, substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination ot` the key A, provided near its forward extremity with the staple t', the rod or linkt, hooked into said staple and passing through the piano-case bottom, and the rod t, detachably connected with the link t, substantially as described and shown.

4. In combination with the removable rollerboard .E and link t, the rod r, having at its upper end the right-angled bend or hook o, substantially as described and shown.

5. The right-angled triangular pedal-check H, hinged at its right angle to the bottom ot' the pedal-trame C, and having the space kbetween its hinged edge and the cross-piece I, in combination with the pedals B, provided with the lug or pin g, substantially in the inanner and for the purpose specified and shown.

In testimony whercofl have hereunto signed my name and aflixed my seal, in the presence oi" two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State ot' New York, this 12th day oi" November, 1879.

THOMAS H. ISNOLLIN. [1.. si

Witnesses E. LAAss, C. BENDIXEN. 

